Communications today, especially in business, is usually entwined with the activity of referencing or updating various types of online data. Depending on the nature of the communication, different information sources or actions may be used to supplement the conversation. For example, in a conversation about investments, parties may reference stock prices or market updates. Other conversations may involve checking a person's availability via a calendar application, committing events to a calendar, or checking weather forecasts. The range of information sources and actions available to supplement a conversation is potentially limitless. However, it is often not easy or practical to recall or access the full range of available resources during a conversation. This problem is particularly acute when a party is engaged in a real-time verbal communication session such as a telephone call. In many cases, the party may not have the time or resources, or may be concurrently engaged in an activity (e.g., driving) that prevents the party from accessing the supplemental information or action. As a result, the party may have to access the information or complete an action related to the conversation at a later time and then follow up with the other participant(s) of the telephone call after the call has ended.
In parallel, communications service providers are continually challenged to develop new services and features to remain competitive and to develop new sources of revenue.
Therefore, there is a need for an approach that provides for automated and seamless retrieval of supplemental information and/or initiation of a related action during a verbal communication session, while creating a new source of revenue for communication service providers.